News & Events

Cyprus President expresses determination to protect and further develop shipping sector

Date: 12/05/2016

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed his government`s determination to protect and further develop the island`s shipping sector.

He was addressing an event in the coastal city of Limassol to mark the 25th anniversary of a Russian shipping company.

Addressing the company he expressed appreciation “for the trust you place on Cyprus to establish and operate your business and your contribution towards the development of the Cyprus shipping industry.”

“Over the past decades Cyprus has built up an exceptional maritime infrastructure and high level of expertise,” he pointed out, recalling that “the Cypriot maritime registry is today one of the largest in the EU and the 10th largest worldwide.”

Furthermore, he noted, “our country is considered to be one of the largest third party ship-management centres globally”, adding that “this is largely due to the contribution of companies like Unicom.”

President Anastasiades continued to say that despite the international adverse economic conditions and the financial difficulties that our country faces in the last years, the Cyprus shipping sector managed to maintain its competitiveness and perspectives as a result of combined efforts from the public and private sectors.”

Shipping, he added, “has in fact evolved in the recent years as one of the leading sectors of our economy and has proven to be an invaluable asset in our journey to recovery.”

At the same time he assured that the government “acknowledges now, more than ever, the important role that the shipping sector plays in the Cyprus economy.”

We are well aware of the fact that the shipping sector operates in a continuously evolving and highly competitive global environment, he said.

That is why, he stressed, “we are determined to introduce the necessary mechanisms to protect and further develop the shipping sector, to further improve the overall shipping infrastructure in Cyprus and our services in the shipping industry.”

Addressing the event, in Russian through an interpreter, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Viktor Olersky said the presence of both Cyprus President and Transport Minister Marios Demetriades at the event shows how much attention the government of Cyprus gives to the development of the shipping sector of this country.

“We believe that our relations with Cyprus, especially in the shipping industry sector can develop even more and can be deeper,” he said.

Referring to the a meeting he had with Demetriades he said he had expressed the view that Russian presence in Cyprus and our cooperation can be more practical and that it should “develop more into ship-management and ship-ownership.”

I believe the government of Cyprus will provide more assistance to the Russian companies that would like to have deeper roots in this wonderful land, he concluded.